11alpha-hydroxy-17alpha-progesterone and esters thereof



Patented Jan. 12, 1954 1la-HYDROXY-17a-PROGESTERONE AND ESTERS THEREOF Herbert G. Murray, Hickory Corners, and Durey H. Peterson, Kalamazoo, Mich., 'assignors to The Upjohn Company, Kalamazoo, Mich., a corporation of Michigan No Drawing. Application July 1, 1952,

Serial No. 296,736 a 12 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful steroids and more specifically to lla-hydroxy- Fla-progesterone and 1la-acyloxy-l"la-progesterones and to methods for the preparation thereof.

It is an object of this invention to provide the novel lla-hydroxy-lTar-progesterone, otherwise identified as 1la-hydroxy-l'l-isoprogesterone, and 110i acyloxy-'l'7a-progesterones, otherwise identified as l1a-acyloxy-17-isoprogesterones, new and useful compositions of matter having pharmacological and especially progestational activity and being additionally useful in the synthesis of various oxygenated steroids. Another object is to provide a process for the preparation of these compounds. Other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains.

The novel compounds of the present invention are represented by the following structural formula:

one and 1la-acyloxy-l'la-progesterones exhibit anesthetic and inhibitory properties in glucocorticoid, estrogenic, folliculoid, testoid, spermatogenic, renotropic, hypertensive, salt retention, luteoid and progesterone activities.

Using the procedure set forth in the following examples, the 1la-acyloxy-l7a-progesteiones are prepared by reacting lla-hydroxy-l'l t progesterone with ketene, ketenes of selected acids, selected acids, and anhydrides or acid chlorides in an organic solvent such as pyridine or the like, or an inert solvent, including solvents like benzene, toluene, ether, and the like, for example, and heated at a temperature between about zero degrees centigrade and the boiling point of the reaction mixture, usually about room temperature, for a period between about a half hour and about 96 hours. The time of reaction is somewhat dependent upon the temperature at which the reaction is carried out, the acylating agent, and the ratio of reactants. The reaction mixture is quenched with ice or cold water, and the product is collected in an organic solvent which is thereafter washed with successive portions of a mildly basic solution and water to obtain a solution of the product which is essen-- tially neutral. In some instances, the product may crystallize from the reaction mixture, in which case it may be advantageous to separate the product by filtration or other means, wash with water, and thereafter purify by conventional means, such as, for example, by recrystallization from a suitable solvent or chromatographic purification, as deemed necessary.

The starting material in these acylation reactions, lla-hydroxy-l7a-progesterone, may be prepared by subjecting 16-dehydroprogesterone to the action of a fungus of the order Mucorales as set forth in the applications of Murray and Peterson, Serial Number 180,496, filed August 19, 1950, now abandoned, and Serial Number 272,944, filed February 23, 1952, issued on July 8, 1952 as United States Patent 2,602,769, of which this application is a continuation-in-part, and Serial Number 296,723, filed July 1, 1952.

The following preparations and examples are illustrative of the objects, processes and products of the present invention, but are not to be construed as limiting.

Example 1 .--11 a-hydroxy-1 7 a-proges'terone A medium was prepared of twenty grams of Edamine enzymatic digest oflactalbumin, three grams of corn steep liquor and fifty grams of technical dextrose diluted to one liter with tap water and adjusted to a pH of 4.3 to 4.5. Two liters of this sterilized medium was inoculated with Rhizopus m'gricans ATCC 6227b, and incubated for 24 hours at a temperature of 28 degrees centigrade using a rate of aeration and stirring such that the oxygen uptake was 6.3 to '7 millimoles per hour per liter of Na2SOs according to the method of "Cooper, Fernstrom and Millenlnd. Eng. Chem, 36, 504 (1944). To this medium containing a 24 hour growth of Rhizopus nigricans minus strain-was added one gram of 16-dehydroprogesterone in 25 milliliters of acetone to provide a suspension of the steroid in the culture. After an additional 24 hour period of incubation under the same conditions of temperature and aeration, the beer containing mycelium was extracted twice with one liter portions of methylene chloride and twice with EGO-milliliter portions of methylene chloride. The extract was washed twice with 250 milliliters of five percent sodium bicarbonate and twice with 250 milliliters of water. After drying over anhydrous sodium sulfate, filtering and evaporating the solvent, a semicrystalline residue of 2.045 grams was obtained. This residue was dissolved in fifty milliliters of benzene and chromatographed over 100 grams of alumina (hydrochloric acid washed and activated by heating at 120 degrees centigrade for four hours). Developing solvents were added to the column in 180-milliliter portions as given in Table I.

Table I i t o 1 s, Fraction Solvent Milligrams benzene 166. benzene plus 20 percent ether 140. 5 benzene plus 50 percent ether". 9v 0 ether 10.0 ether plus 5 percent chlorofornn 23.0 ether plus 10 percent chloroform 33. 5 other plus 50 percent chloroform 85.0 chloroform 658. 0 chloroform plus 10 percent acetone, 113. 0 chloroform plus 50 percent acetone. 72. 5 acetone 61.0 methanol 106. 0

Fractions 5 through 13, inclusive, were combined and recrystallized from two milliliters of acetone to give fifty milligrams of starting material, melting point 184 to 189 degrees centigrade. Fractions 14 through 17, inclusive, were combined and dissolved in 0.5 milliliter of methylene chloride. To this solution, five milliliters of ether was added to cause crystallization at room temperature. cooling the solution to zero degrees centigrade for two hours. The yellow supernatant liquid was decanted from the crystals which were then washed with five milliliters of ether to which a few drops of acetone was added. I'he product was recrystallized from one milliliter of methylene chloride to which ether was added until crystallization was effected. After two recrystallizations from methylene chloride with the addition of ether, 255 milligrams were obtained of color-- less crystals of l1a-hydroxyNil-progesterone, melting point 209 to 211.5 degrees centigrade, [al of minus twelve degrees (0.995 in chlor0- form). Structure was confirmed by infrared and ultraviolet spectra.

7 Analysis: Calculated for C21H30031 vC, 76.32; H, 9.15. Found: C, 76.07; H, 9.07.

Example 2.-1 1u.-acet0:cy-'1 7 a-proge'sterone A 48.5 milligram sample of lla-hydroxyl7o.- progesterone was dissolved in two milliliters of pyridine, mixed with one milliliter of acetic anhydride and maintained at room temperature over night, whereupon the solution was diluted Crystallization was completed bycinic, glutaric, adipic acids, and the like.

Example 3.1la-dimethylacetory-flaprogesterone In the same manner as given in Example 2, using the equivalent proportion of dimethylacetic anhydride in place of acetic anhydride produced 11a-dimethylacetoxy-flit-progesterone.

Example 4.-1 1 ac-cyclopentylpropionyloxy) 1 7 a-progesterone In the same manner as given in Example 2, using the equivalent proportion of p-cyclopentylpropionyl chloride in place of acetic anhydride produced 11a.-(5cyclopentylpropionyloxy) -17aprogesterone.

In the same manner as given in Example 2, using the equivalent proportion of benzoyl chloride in place of acetic anhydride produced 11a.- benzoxy-Nil-progesterone.

Example 6 .--1 1 a-iTiT/LCthZ/ldCBtOIBZj-I 7 a.- progesterone In the same manner as given in Example 2, using the equivalent proportion of trimethylacetic anhydride in place of acetic anhydride produced 1latrimethylacetoxy-Nor-progesterone.

In a similar manner, other lla-acyloxy esters of 11ahydroxy-Her-progesterone are prepared by reacting lla-hydroxyl7a-prOgesterOne with the selected acid anhydride in pyridine or with other acylating agents and solvents as previously described in this specification. Representative 11- esters of 11a-hydroxy-17a-progesterone thus-prepared include, especially, one to eight carbon atom carboxylic acid acyloxy esters of saturated or unsaturated aliphatic or cycloaliphatic, carbocyclic, aryl, arylalkyl, alkaryl, mono-, dior polycarboxylic acids, which form ester groups such as, for example, formyloxy, acetoxy, propionyloxy, dimethylacetoxy, trimethylacetoxy, butyryloxy, valeryloxy, hexanoyloxy, heptanoyloxy, octanoyloxy, benzoxy, phenylacetoxy, toluoyloxy, naphthoyloxy, cyclopentylformyloxy, acrylyloxy, cyclohexylformyloxy, [3 cyclopentylpropionyloxy, the half and di-esters of malonic, maleic, suc- The acids may also contain non-interfering substitu- 'ents,'such as monoor poly-halo, chloro, bromo,

hydroxy, methoxy, and the like.

It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the exact details of operation or than nine carbon atoms.

3. 11a-acyloxy-I'M-progesterone wherein acyloxy is a hydrocarbon-carbonyloxy radical containing less than nine carbon atoms.

4. 11a-acetoxy-I'M-progesterone.

5. 1la-dimethylacetoxy-I'm-progesterone.

6. 11a(p-cyclopentylpropionyloxy) -17a.progesterone.

7. 11e-trimethylacetoxy-l7a.-progester0ne.

8. A process for the production of lla-acyloxy-lh-progesterone which comprises reacting 11a-hydroxy-Nor-progesterone with an acylating agent to form 11a-acyloxy-lflu-progesterone.

9. A process for the production of llc-acyloxy- Hui-progesterone which comprises reacting 11ahydroxy-lh-progesterone with a carboxyiic acid to form 1la-acyloxy-l7a-progesterone.

10. A process for the production of lla-acyloxy-l'la-progesterone which comprises reacting 1la-hydroxy-Nix-progesterone with a carboxylic acid anhydride to form lla-acyioxy-i'la-progesterone.

11. A process for the production of lla-acyloxy-lh-progesterone which comprises reacting 1la-hydroxy-Ih-progesterone with a carboxylic acid halide to form 11aacy1oxy-I'm-progesterone.

12. A process for the production of Ila-acetoxy-l'iu-progesterone which comprises reacting 1la-hydroxy-I'm-progesterone with acetic anhydride to form 11a-acetoxy-I'm-progesterone.

HERBERT C. MURRAY. DUREY H. PETERSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent Fieser et a1., Natural Products Related to Phenanthrene, 3rd ed., p. 408 (1949). 

1. A COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF 11A-HYDROXY-17A-PROGESTERONE AND 11AACYLOXY-17A-PROGESTERONE WHEREIN ACYLOXY IS A HYDROCARBON-CARBONYLOXY RADICAL CONTAINING LESS THAN NINE CARBON ATOMS. 